Configuring Applications for Collaboration · Topic 2 of 6
List and Form Anatomy and Form Configuration
Parts of a ServiceNow list and form, plus Form Layout, Form Design, sections, related lists and personalization: what admins configure and where.
- 4 min
- Form Layout is list-based; Form Design is drag and drop; both edit the same layout.
- Configure changes the form for everyone; Personalize changes it for one user.
- Form buttons are UI actions; related lists are controlled through configuration.
What it is
Lists and forms are built from named parts, and the exam expects you to recognize them. List and form anatomy is the vocabulary: header, breadcrumb, sections, related lists, context menu. Form configuration is how an admin changes which fields appear, where they sit, and which tabs and related lists a form shows.
How it works
Anatomy of a list
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Title and filter icon | Names the table and opens the condition builder |
| Breadcrumb | Shows the active conditions |
| Column headers | Click to sort; right-click for a menu with Group By and Personalize List |
| Search row | Filters by a single column |
| Rows | One record each; click the record to open its form |
| New button | Opens a blank form for that table |
| Related list | A list of child records shown at the bottom of a form |
Anatomy of a form
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Form header | Shows the record title and the form context menu |
| Form buttons | UI actions such as Update, Resolve or Delete |
| Fields | Hold the data; a required field shows an asterisk |
| Sections or tabs | Group fields so the form stays readable |
| Activity stream | Shows journal fields, such as work notes and comments, and history |
| Related lists | Show records connected to this one, such as tasks or attachments |
A reference field points to a record on another table. Users can search it with the magnifier icon and preview the target record with the info icon.
The form context menu
Right-clicking the form header, or using the menu icon, opens options such as Save, Insert, Reload form, Copy sys_id, Copy URL and Show XML. Under Configure an admin finds the layout tools, and under Personalize a user finds the settings that change only their own view.
Form Layout and Form Design
Both tools edit the same form layout. They differ in how you work.
| Tool | Style |
|---|---|
| Form Layout | A list-based editor: move field names between an Available list and a Selected list, and reorder them |
| Form Design | A visual drag and drop editor: drag fields and sections onto the form canvas |
With either tool an admin can add or remove a field, change the order, create a new section, or create a new field. Creating a field adds a column to the table, so check whether it belongs on the parent table or a child table.
A field added to the Task table appears on every table that extends Task, such as Incident and Change Request. A field added to Incident appears only there.
Sections and related lists
A section is a named group of fields. Sections can be shown one after another or as tabs. The related lists at the bottom of a form are also configurable: an admin can choose which related lists appear and in what order.
Configuring a form changes it for everyone who uses that view. Changes made through Personalize apply only to the person who made them.
| Action | Who it affects |
|---|---|
| Configure > Form Layout or Form Design | All users of that form view |
| Personalize > Related Lists | Only the current user |
| Personalize List (gear icon) | Only the current user |
| Configure > List Layout | All users of that list view |
How the exam asks about this
- "An admin wants a new field to appear for every task type." Add it to the Task table through Form Layout or Form Design; child tables inherit it.
- "A user wants to hide a related list on her own incident form." Personalize the related lists, which affects only her.
- "Which part of the form shows work notes and comments?" The activity stream, which displays journal fields.
What to remember for the exam
- Form Layout is list-based; Form Design is drag and drop; both edit the same layout.
- Configure changes the form for everyone; Personalize changes it for one user.
- Form buttons are UI actions; related lists are controlled through configuration.
- A field added to a parent table appears on child tables that extend it.
- A reference field points to a record on another table.
- Required fields show an asterisk; mandatory behavior comes from the dictionary or from policies.
Removing a field from a form does not delete the column or its data. The field is only hidden from that layout.
Common mistakes
Confusing configure with personalize. If a question says "all users", a personal setting is the wrong answer. If it says "only me", an admin layout change is too broad.
Believing a field removed from the form is gone. The data stays on the table and still appears in lists, reports and filters.
Forgetting inheritance. An admin who adds a field to the wrong table either shows it on too many forms or on too few. Read which table the question names.
Check yourself
Which two tools let an admin change the form layout?
Form Layout (list-based) and Form Design (drag and drop); both edit the same layout.
A field is removed from a form. Is its data deleted?
No. The column and its data remain; the field is simply no longer on that layout.
Where does a field added to the Task table show up?
On the forms of every table that extends Task, such as Incident, Problem and Change Request.
Topic 2 of 6 in Configuring Applications for Collaboration
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